Nicole Friday On Compassionate Leadership And The 30th Anniversary Of ABFF

Nicole Friday, the cofounder and CEO of NICE CROWD, the pioneering live events company behind the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), ABFF Honors, the Because They’re Funny Comedy Festival, and the newly announced ABFF Pop-Up Tour, is approaching a significant milestone in business and community, the 30th anniversary of ABFF. Since launching ABFF in 1997 with her husband, Jeff Friday, Nicole has helped transform a single film festival into a global cultural movement — one that’s redefined opportunity for Black storytellers and reshaped how Hollywood approaches inclusion. Under her leadership, ABFF has become one of the most influential platforms in entertainment, having launched the careers of talents like Ryan Coogler, Issa Rae, and Will Packer, while spotlighting early work from filmmakers including Ava DuVernay and Reinaldo Marcus Green.

“I have to tell you that it certainly has been a journey. We’re really excited about this year. ABFF was built on the clear idea that great storytelling should have a real pathway into the mainstream. From the beginning in 1997, our mission wasn’t about creating something separate. It’s always been about expanding the landscape of who gets seen, supported, and ultimately succeeds, and we’ve been doing that for 30 years. I’m really excited to be in this position,” Friday said to me during our Zoom interview.

“Since 1997, ABFF has been focused on expanding access and visibility within the broader entertainment landscape,” said Jeff Friday, cofounder & CEO of NICE CROWD and Founder of ABFF. “Thirty years in, what’s most compelling is not only the legacy we’ve built, but the platform we continue to evolve, one that connects storytellers, audiences, and industry at scale. As we look ahead, our focus is on growth and permanence, ensuring the next generation of talent has a clear and sustained pathway into the global marketplace.”

Now, as the film festival approaches its 30th anniversary this year, Friday continues to expand NICE CROWD’s vision far beyond the festival space: creating live and digital experiences that merge culture, commerce, and community. Her work is not only fueling diversity in media but also reshaping the economics of cultural tourism, driving real-world impact for the communities her events touch, with access top of mind. According to Friday, ABFF has remained relevant within the broader entertainment ecosystem due to its commitment to curating intentional spaces that are accessible.

“ABFF isn’t just about representation; it was really about access and visibility within the larger industry. We’re proud to be part of the journeys of people like Ryan Coogler, Issa Rae, and Steven Caple, Jr., and we created this platform to expand who gets to participate in the mainstream. It was always about finding a way to bridge that gap of who gets platformed, who gets this discovered, and we’ve continued that work with our pop-up events across the country, in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, and Atlanta.”

She continued, “As we look forward with what we’re doing now and creating space for the next generation, we want to be able to go into these communities and have a platform where they can reach us, especially if they aren’t able to come to Miami, to our larger festival.”

This year’s ABFF festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the theme ‘Homecoming’ and Regina King as its ambassador. It will feature conversations and panels with notable industry-leading directors, producers, and talent, along with an engaging slate of screenings, panels, and presentations by ESPN, Netflix, AARP, Amazon, MGM, STARZ, Warner Bros Discovery, and OWN.

“We thought after 30 years, what theme makes the most sense for us, and tying Regina King and others who have been a part of our journey, tying that to what we’re doing now in our 30th anniversary, it just made all the sense in the world,” she said. “It’s always been about building something that has cultural relevance and business credibility at the same time, and that’s what we have tried to stay true to the entire time. It hasn’t been easy. There’s always been a balance between growth and staying true to the core of what we’ve been doing. Still, my role has been to navigate that and make sure we’re evolving and expanding and building a real business while not losing the integrity of the platform.”

“ABFF has championed countless artists and storytellers, growing into a powerful global platform,” said Regina King. “What Jeff and Nicole Friday have built over 30 years has made a lasting impact across our industry. Returning feels like a homecoming – a celebration of our creativity, resilience, and excellence. I’m truly honored to serve as Ambassador for this milestone year.”

As Friday’s company continues to scale, she’s focused on remaining culturally grounded and offering safe havens for aspiring and established creatives, as well as platforms to honor them, like ABFF Honors, the American Black Film Festival’s annual awards season gala, founded in 2016 and dedicated to celebrating outstanding achievements in the motion picture and television industries. “ABFF is a launch pad for so much talent, and it’s been a marketplace for ideas and the destination for audiences and industry. We’ve built something attractive for studios, networks, and brands that draws a diverse audience and sits within the broader entertainment ecosystem, yet people have seen us on the sidelines for many years. But we’re really not. We’re part of the main ecosystem,” she stated.

Friday continued, “At our core, our platforms are about highlighting great storytelling and creating real opportunity for individuals, and that’s something that connects with everyone. One of our taglines is: ‘Everyone has a story, and yours belongs here.’ And it’s been our mission to create a platform for those who have stories and need to share them. When we started in 1997, we were this ‘little engine that could.’ I still call us that because I feel we still are the little engine that could, even 30 years later, and we have been able to weather storms and pivot and create new opportunities, and that’s really what it’s about.”

Friday attributes her success to treating people kindly, a trait embedded in her leadership style. “The way that I lead and the team that I have around me is really about working hard and being nice to people. The name of our company is NICE CROWD, for a reason: I do believe it is important to lead with that. We lead with compassion. Lead with being approachable. Lead with being nice to people, because you never know where that person that you’re not nice to is going to end up, and how you may need them later on in life,” she shared. “We’ve been very intentional about how we show up, because perception does shape opportunity. And with our festival and all the events that we do, we’re very intentional about programming, quality, talent, caliber, and about brand partnerships and the audience, and how the audience experiences our events.”

The legacy she wants to leave is rooted in created ample opportunity for others. “That’s always a tough question. I want people to think of what we’ve built as something that has made a difference for so many, not only for people or individuals of talent, but just in the industry, and that we have made an impact. We have created opportunities for people who may not have gotten them, or may not have had access to certain things in the industry. And here’s the thing, you never know how you may impact people,” she said.